Dear Kobe

 It’s a weird day.

 If you turned on the news today, you’d hear that line from a lot of stunned players in the National Basketball Association. The reason I’m writing to you today is because I’m stunned as well. I’m shook.

 I took one look at D-Wade’s reaction and immediately became emotional. Sitting on my couch in front of my roommates, head in my hoodie to dry the tears. I’m not alone in this feeling though, an entire world is feeling this. From Myrtle Beach to Hamden To Philly to Beijing.

 I heard the news with three hours remaining in an eight hour car ride back home from a tournament in Florida. Teams representing states from all over and I bet my life if you asked each player on each team, and all the fans attending…every single person knew of the man the world refers to as “Kobe”.

 You showed the world how to have that infamous “Mamba Mentality” and how to switch it off once you left the court. How once the jersey is off, you transform too. Stare them down on the court, dap them up after the game. 

 If you looked into your eyes during a game you’d see a cracked, dry, barren desert with one serpent staring right into your soul. In that moment, you knew your fate and you did your best to stave off the fight that was about to ensue.

  I never had the privilege to meet you in person, I never even saw you play live but I’ve said for years I’d end up regretting that and boy was I right. However, I was fortunate to have you as a figure in my life, for my entire life.

 I donned your jersey as a child (even though I rooted against you in ’08) because you taught me it was okay to shoot daggers of all sorts when you stepped on that playing surface. You were allowed to stand your ground and own that ground as long as you backed it up.

 It sucked to see you leave in ’16, but boyyyyy did it give me goosebumps when you hit that free throw (Take notes Shaq) to give you 60 in your final game. All while coming back from an injury that could’ve and probably should’ve been career ending…but no one out works you. Ever.

 Your playing career was over, but it sure felt like you were just getting started. From your foundations, to showing off your beautiful family and how you were not only an elite NBA Player, but an even better family man.

  We asked for your hustle, and you were right when you said you gave us your heart.

 I heard today you wanted a piece of your heart to go on and play for UConn. As a boy from Hamden, Connecticut, who watched Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Rebecca Lobo, and Maya Moore light up my grandmother’s eyes every single season, it only felt right to see you and Gigi feel that same exact light. Hell, you might have even coached her at UConn with your love for the game, especially on the women’s side because you saw it all as one. It was all basketball. Always.  

 It’s been a weird day because you weren’t just an NBA Player to me. You weren’t just a jersey hanging in my closet. You weren’t just 81 points.

 You were Nickelodean

 You were milk mustache posters in our cafeteria

 You were my paper ball in Italian class….”Garbage can in the corner...5 seconds on the clock…ball in hands"

 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

 You were a mentality.

                                                                                                                    Love you, Bean. Always.
 
                                                                                                                                                             -B